P. Aruna, Asia News Network (The Star), Petaling Jaya, Malaysia | Lifestyle | Wed, June 06 2012, 9:39 AM
He has created dishes for international A-listers, but South Korean celebrity chef Edward Kwon says he enjoyed the simple, spicy Malay cuisine prepared by a makcik here.
Kwon was treated to Malay cuisine prepared by Salmiah Md Isa, 61, who was previously chef for first Prime Minister and Malaysia’s founding father Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj.
“It was great, simple food. Good simple food is sometimes more difficult to prepare than complicated dishes,” he said after being served lunch during his visit to Menara Star here on Tuesday.
“It is no wonder that she used to cook for the prime minister.”
He added that the sambal dish was “very spicy”.
Kwon was served, among others, beef rendang, tamarind fried prawns, grilled fish stuffed with chilies, which were the favorites of the former prime minister.
Also present were Maybank deputy president and head of community financial services Lim Hong Tat as well as chief marketing officer Adam Wee Abdullah, Star Publications (M) Bhd executive deputy chairman Vincent Lee and group managing director and CEO Ho Kay Tat.
However, Kwon said he did not enjoy the durian.
“I tried it. I put one into my mouth – and I had to swallow it because there were people around,” he said, laughing.
Described as the Jamie Oliver of Asia, Kwon is the star of regional TV series EdVentures In Asia, which is now being aired on Life Inspired TV.
The 13-episode series is a collaboration with Star Publications and presented by Malayan Banking Berhad.
Kwon, the former head chef of the world’s only seven-star hotel Burj al-Arab in Dubai, now runs three restaurants in South Korea – Eddy’s Café in Gangnam, Lab XXIV (Lab Twenty-Four) in Cheongdam-Dong and The Mixed One in Hannam-Dong.
The 40-year-old chef, who is married with two sons, has cooked for celebrities like Madonna, Pierce Brosnan, Tiger Woods, Maria Sharapova, Barbra Streisand and former US president George W. Bush.
